Cupcakes are all the rage! These baby cakes are being served everywhere. You can find them on the dessert table at family meals or even at weddings. It doesn’t surprise me that people love cupcakes. When you can pick up a sweet treat and eat it with your hands you have found the pot of gold. And these pineapple upside down cupcakes are delicious. This post may contain affiliate links. 
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes have become my husband’s new favorite dessert. I’m a chocolate loving kind of girl, but can definitely eat my way through a few Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes when the opportunity presents itself.
You will need a few simple ingredients to get you started.
Yellow Cake Mix (eggs, oil, water) Whatever your particular mix calls for
Butter
Brown Sugar
Crushed Pineapple
Maraschino Cherries
Something to grease your cupcake tins with. (I use Crisco, but a good non-stick spray should work, too)
You will need to have some wax paper on hand so you can invert the cupcakes onto the wax paper when releasing them.
Here are a few tips to make this recipe work better.
When mixing these cupcakes if your cake mix calls for the water you will be replacing it with the pineapple juice you drained from the can. If you don’t have enough juice just add water until you get to the right measurements.
Be sure your cupcake tins are well greased. This will prevent sticking.
When you add the butter, brown sugar pineapple and cherry push it down with the back of a spoon so it’s an even layer.
Put these on the middle oven rack.
If you are using a dark pan reduce your cooking temperature by 25 degrees.
Let the cupcakes cool for 5 mins before inverting them.
Following those few tips will ensure that these cupcakes will be a new family favorite if you can keep them around long enough for everyone to try!
Curious minds want to know, Do you eat the cherry on top of your pineapple upside down cake?
I do not! If it was a chocolate covered cherry I’d probably eat it. But it’s a big no on maraschino cherries for me!
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 24 maraschino cherries
- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 box of your favorite yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1 1/3 cup pineapple juice
Instructions
- Move an oven rack into the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease 24 muffin cups. (Try using shortening or a good non-stick spray)
- Line a work surface with waxed paper
- Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into the bottom of each muffin cup.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon brown sugar in each muffin cup.
- Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the brown sugar in each muffin cup.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple over the cherry and compact it with the back of a spoon into an even layer.
- Mix yellow cake mix as directed adding in your oil, eggs, etc.. replacing the water with pineapple juice until moistened, about 30 seconds. Turn mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.
- Pour cake batter into the muffin cup, filling them almost to the top; do not overfill.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
- Allow cupcakes to cool at least 5 minutes before inverting muffin cups onto the wax paper to release. Serve with pineapple and cherry sides up.
Notes
The oil and eggs are listed in the ingredients because every yellow cake mix I have ever used calls for those ingredients in those measurements. You may have to adjsut the ingredients accordingly depending on the cake mix you use.
Crushed pineapple works best.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 225Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 33mgSodium 202mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 27gProtein 2g
rita says
first class recipe
Allison says
Mmmm, these look amazing. I’ve been toying with my mind about making pineapple upside down cake and I think these were the deciding factor. YUM!
Felicia says
I love pineapple upside down cake – these cupcakes are a great idea!
[email protected] says
This recipe sounds great. I am going to get the ingredients today and make them for dinner. Thanks for sharing.
Brandi Clevinger says
Oh yummy! I’m going to have to make these this weekend. I have all the ingredients except the cherries. My kids are going to love these! Especially when I flip it over and there’s a cherry on the bottom!
Thanks for sharing!
Kathleen says
Now that is a cupcake I could enjoy. It looks nice and moist and tasty and no need for frosting. What a great idea they are. Thanks for bringing them to #HomeMattersParty I am going to pin them to remind me how to make them.
Kathleen
Bridget - The Recipe Wench says
Wow! I had to pin these — they look amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing at the Inspire Me Mondays Link-up!
Crystal @ Zipperheadcreations.com says
We recently made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake for Memorial Day and it was awesome. How much cooler would it be to have in individual servings? Yummy!
sharon shafran says
makes my mouth water just looking at this recipe
Adrienne says
When you say ‘muffin cups’ do you you mean a muffin pan or individual muffin cups without the pan? I know this is a silly question ?
Michele Brosius says
We used a muffin pan, but have actually had much better luck making them in a silicone muffin cup. Either works! Thanks for stopping by.
Laurie says
How far in advance can you make these? Is there enough juice from the crushed pineapple?
Michele Brosius says
Yes there is plenty of juice. I have only ever made them in the AM and served them in the PM. Thanks!
Kim says
Pinned this one – my husband’s favorite dessert!
Felicia says
These look delicious.
Chellie says
Individual servings are the BEST! These look delicious. Thanks for sharing at FTAF
Jen @ upcyclednest says
Wow, those look delicious! I’ll pin it to try later!
Pamela Shank says
Your cupcakes look awesome. I have made these before and really like how they turn out. I think they are classy to take to a function (or just eat) and I prefer the baby cake thing anyway. Great job
Helen Fern says
These look really delightful!! Would love to have you share it at the “What’s for Dinner” blog hop!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-39/
Amberjane says
Delicious looking cakes – thank you for sharing with Pin Worthy Wednesday
Kim says
These are so cute! I love anything in mini form! Thanks for sharing! #homeMattersParty
Stephanie Lett says
I just made these mini upside down pineapple cakes, if you could smell my house as they were baking !!!! So easy to make and quick . I am adding these tomorrow to my Thanksgiving desert table.
Marie says
These are so much fun! The perfect Easter dessert to bring to the big family dinner. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday this week!
Pauline Molinari says
These cupcakes look so yummy! Thanks for sharing your tasty recipe with us this week on the Monday Funday Party!
Leah Ashley says
These look absolutely delicious!!! A mini version on my favorite cake!! Thanks for sharing can’t wait to try!!
Roseann Hampton says
I never thought about doing pineapple upside down as a cupcake! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie Soto says
Hi! I’m one of the co-hosts from the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Up. These cupcakes sound delicious! I am a huge fan of pineapple upside down cake but never thought of putting them in a cupcake. These are perfect for a summer cookout. Thank you for sharing.
susan s says
When it says muffin cups , does that mean straight into the pan or into muffin papers?
Michele Brosius says
Thanks for asking. I do not use papers for this recipe.
Jim Trogdon says
Great tasting treat. I did notice though that the printable recipe does not say to drain the crushed pineapple. Glad I double checked.
Keep up the great work.
Michele Brosius says
Thanks for pointing that out!
Chris says
I can’t eat butter or margarine. Is there some other type of oil that would work?
Michele Brosius says
Sorry I haven’t tried this recipe in any alternate forms. Let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks!
Michele Brosius says
I don’t think so. thanks
dyan says
Can they be made ahead of time and eaten the next day or should they be eaten fresh out of the oven and warm?
Michele Brosius says
We always make them ahead of time. I’ve never tried them warm, but we just may have too. Thanks!
Sara says
I have been making Pineapple UpSide Down Cupcakes for several years. I always use a Pineapple Supreme Cake Mix I drain my can of pineapple and use that juice for the liquid requested to make the cake mix. Most always have enough juice but if not I just add water to the juice. Big hit when I take them to a function.
HELENE F COLETTO says
Just made them, have a problem with them sticking to the wax paper (I used parchment paper thinking it won’t stick) but it did stick. Did I take them out of the muffin tin too soon. They look delicious and hubby said they taste delicious. So that’s good. Left them in muffin tin little over 5 min about 6 or so. Lots of the brown sugar & pineapple stuck in tin also, used butter knife to spread on cupcakes. I did get 24 cupcakes so that’s really good. Just want to know about the sticking to the paper issues. Thanks
Michele Brosius says
I normally use the non-stick or silicone muffin pans and grease them with non-stick spray so I don’t see much sticking in the pan. (Maybe lower your oven temp 25 degrees) I’ve also never had them stick to the wax paper. Maybe non-stick spray on your parchment may help. Thanks
Cathy G says
Mine stuck also. Used non stick pan and spray but they stuck pretty bad. They are not pretty like yours but taste great! I will lower my oven temp next time to see if that helps.
Ursa ~ says
I’ve been making them for years ~ My fiancé’ calls them PUDcakes. I usually dice up the cherries so that you get a small bit of it in each bite.